


Hiraeth

by Ursa_Tattoo



Series: Undarboys AU [19]
Category: The LEGO Movie (2014)
Genre: (a character has it but there's nothing to set it off), Agoraphobia, Alternate Universe, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Undar!Benny, Wistful
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-11
Updated: 2020-01-11
Packaged: 2021-02-27 10:14:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 834
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22215385
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ursa_Tattoo/pseuds/Ursa_Tattoo
Summary: Hiraeth. Noun, Welsh. Longing for a place or a time that is long over, or perhaps never existed at all.Cosmo and Rex say they don't want to go back. In private, at least one of them can admit otherwise.
Relationships: Rex Dangervest/Cosmo Armstrong
Series: Undarboys AU [19]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1599121
Kudos: 2





	Hiraeth

**Author's Note:**

> for the prompt 'hiraeth' on discord! as always, check out rnainframe's 'cosmo armstrong' tag on tumblr for more!

There's rarely a quiet moment on the Rexcelsior, not with raptors and robots and the two men responsible for both. Cosmo's own ship, when not in use, tends to stay out in the hangar, but when Rex goes to check for it, he finds nothing there. No note, no nothing. Cosmo is an impulsive sort, has been for as long as Rex has known him, so the lack of the Cosmonaut doesn't startle him as much as it might otherwise.

And so he waits.

And waits.

And waits.

And then he starts to worry.

Tracking down the Cosmonaut is child's play, really, its systems are synced up with the Rexcelsior's, so Rex approaches in one of his smaller drop ships, flashing the lights a little to ask permission to board.

It takes much longer than it should, but the permission is granted, and Rex boards the ship.

He finds Cosmo curled up in the captain's chair, hugging his knees a little, staring out at the vastness of space through the primary window. His helmet is resting in his lap, the red glass casting a strange light on Cosmo's tired face.

Rex settles into the co-pilot's chair, looking over at Cosmo with a questioning look, and there's no response, not for several beats.

"Sorry for taking off like that. Had to... just had to think." Cosmo's typical rasp sounds extra tired, and the bags under his eyes denote one thing very clearly: night terrors.

"It's no problem, bro. What are you thinking about?"

There's several moments of silence again, like Cosmo is mulling over what to say, still staring out into the vast nothingness.

"...I used to dream of being out there, when I was a kid. I used to look up at the stars and wonder what was out there, what places I could explore, what I could _be_ , out here. And I made it. I'm the best pilot across whole galaxies. Whole _universes_." There's something left unsaid, and Rex waits.

"But?"

More quiet. "...I wanted this more than anything. But I can't be out in it anymore, not outside a ship, not without..." He trails off, but they both know what he means. Rex has seen Cosmo shatter over being out in the vastness of space unaided, and it's a level of terror that he _hates_ to see in Cosmo.

Rex reaches his hand over to rest on Cosmo's shoulder, and Cosmo tucks in on himself a little more.

Cosmo lets out a slightly shaky sigh. "...you ever get that feeling, where you just... want to be in a place you know you can't go back to?"

Rex knows. They both do. That's what brought them together in the first place. And he nods. "Of course."

Cosmo looks at Rex for the first time since he got here, and he looks so tired, so... fragile. And Rex can't stand it. He moves to tug Cosmo out of the captain's chair and into his arms. Cosmo sets his helmet aside, burying himself into Rex, and Rex settles down again.

He takes a few moments to mull over his words, carding his fingers through Cosmo's hair. "...you're not the same person you used to be, and you can't enjoy everything you used to in the same way, but... you're still here. Still standing. And maybe, one day, you can be out there again. Maybe you'll break past what's holding you. But even if you can't? You're still the coolest guy I know." Rex looks out into space, past Cosmo, and he wonders what it was like back then, almost seeing faint images of colorful spacesuits, a blue helmet without a crack.

"...the coolest?" Cosmo looks up at Rex's face, and Rex smiles.

"Yeah, Cos. The coolest." He gently presses their foreheads together for a moment. "...we can't go home again, not the same way, but we can make a new one, right?"

Cosmo accepts the affection, a faint smile tugging at scarred lips. "Yeah. Guess we can."

Rex brushes a kiss onto Cosmo's lips, and Cosmo returns it without hesitation, the two entwined and content.

Rex gently cups Cosmo's face with his hand. "Come on, babe, let's go home, okay?"

"...can we wait a little longer?" Cosmo looks up at Rex with a little grin, cuddling into his arms like he was made to fit there.

Rex laughs, fluffing Cosmo's hair with his fingers again. "Yeah, yeah, we can wait."

Cosmo gives a contented little hum, kissing Rex, but he glances back at the window, out at the stars.

"...even if I can't be out there... we've got the best view in the galaxy." Cosmo's grin as he stares out at stars and planets and distant nebulae could light up whole cities, and Rex's smile goes soft, his eyes focused on Cosmo instead of the window.

Rex's voice goes kind of quiet, relaxing into something natural and tender as he appreciates the love of his life. "Yeah. Can't think of a better view than this."


End file.
